Bill-file.



PA-TENTED MAY 30, 1905.

P. H. YAWMAN.

' BILL FILE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB..15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 790,993. PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

P. H. YAWMAN.

BILL- FILE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAE.15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W a 1 mW.,.

Patented May 30, 190E PATENT Trice.

PHILIP H. YAVVMAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAVVMAN & ERBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEYV YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BILL-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,993, dated May 30, 1905.

To all whom, it flea/y concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. YAWMAN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State New York, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Bill-Files; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the referencenumerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improvements in bill-files, and more especially to that class shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States N 0. 701,448, granted to me June 3, 1902; and it has for its object to provide an automatic device that will permit the follower or paper-clamping member to be swung back into its extreme position when the file or holder occupies a horizontal position, but which will automatically move into position, and thereby retain the follower in an intermediate position, when the file assumes a vertical position, thereby utilizing the follower as a support against which the papers may rest while being examined.

To these and other ends my invention consists in certain improvements, that will be hereinafter more fully explained, and pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a bill-file embodying my invention, showing the same in position within its cabinet. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the file. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the bail or follower swung back to its extreme position. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 5, showing the relative positions of the retaining-pawl and the coop- 4o crating portion of the bail when the latter is in its intermediate position. tional view showing the file in its vertical position and the bail in its intermediate position. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, showing the cooperative relation of the spring and crank while the bail is in its intermediate position; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing that Fig. 5 is a sec-' Application filed March 15, 1904. Serial No. 193,233.

portion of the bail which cooperates with the retaining device in detail.

The same numerals of reference designate similar parts in the several views.

In the present embodiment of my invention I have illustrated it as applied to a wellknown form of bill-file similar to that disclosed in my prior patent aforesaid, having the usual bottom or base board 1, the side pieces 2, and the front board 3 connecting them, and on the inner sides of the side boards, preferably at their forward and upper ends, are provided the plates 4 4, which are perforated, as at 5, to receive the respective ends of the bail or follower 6.' This bail in the present form is provided with a handle 7 at its center, from which extend the divergent arms 8 8, the extremities of these arms being bent substantially at right angles to enter the apertures 5 of the plate 4, and at the opposite side of these plates they are again bent to form crank portions 8 8, which extend approximately in line with the arms 8, such a construction permitting the bail to be swung in a circular path about the apertures 5 as centers.

To the front board 3 of the file are attached the operating-springs 9 9, each of which em: bodies in the present instance an arm 10, extending through an aperture 10 in the plate 4 and carrying at its extremity an offset portion 11, which rests upon the opposite side of the plate 4 and normally engages the crank portion of the bail. Upon the inner side of the plate 4 is provided a pawl 13, which is pivoted upon the rivet or other support 14 and Weighted or counterbalanced to enable it to maintain a substantially vertical position irrespective of the position of the file or holder. This pawl is so located that when the file or holder is in its horizontal position it will be clear of the path of a projection 15, formed on the plate 16, that it perforated to receive the end of the bail or follower and provided with a securing-flap 16, which is bent around the arm of the bail. However, when the file or holder occupies a vertical position, or a position similar to that shown in Fig. 5, this Lil pawl 13 will swing around .into such a position that the lower end thereof will lie in the path of the said projection 15 of the bail, and consequently when the bail is swung outwardly or away from the holder its motion will be limited by the engagement of the said projection 15 with the pawl, causing the bail to rest in such a position as to constitute a support against which the papers may rest.

In practice it is preferable to employ some suitable device that will tend to retain the bail in either its closed or open position, and in the present embodiment I prefer to employ means similar to that shown in my aforesaid prior patent wherein the arms 10 of the springs 9 exert a pressure upon the crank-arm 8 at each end of the bail, the arrangement being such that when the bail is in its closed position within the file the operation of the spring will exert a pressure thereon tending to retain it so, and as it is opened into its extreme position, which is possible while the file occupiesa horizontal position, these cranks on the bail ends will pass over their centers and will be again acted upon by the, springarms, the tendency in this instance being to retain the bail in its extreme open position. In order to permit the bail to remain in its intermediate position, it is preferable to form these cranks in such a manner that they extend at a slight angle to the arms 8 of the bail. as such a construction would bring the cranks into their central positions when the bail occupies its intermediate position, thereby neutralizing the action of the spring-arms and permitting the bail or follower to remain in itsintermediate position.

In practice it may be found desirable to employ some suitable means for protecting the operating parts, and I have therefore shown a protecting-plate 17, that is secured to the front board 3 and one of the sides of the file, which extends over the pawl 18 to prevent papers that may be contained within the file from bearing against the latter, and thereby interfering with its operation.

A paper-filing device embodying my improvements enables the papers that may be contained therein to be handled and examined with the utmost facility, for the reason that the retaining device will automatically move into position to retain the follower or paperclamping member in such a position to form a rest against which the papers may lie while they are turned over in being examined and when the file occupies a substantially horizontal position will automatically move into such a position as to enable the follower to be swung into its extreme position to permit the papers to be conveniently handled and removed from the file.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a paper-filing device, the combination with the receptacle, of a follower mounted in pivotal relation to the receptacle adapted to occupy two different positions; and having a projection thereon, and a relatively movable stop controlled in its operation by the relative positions occupied by the receptacle and cooperating with the projectioh of the follower to retain the latter in a predetermined intermediate position.

2. Inapaper-filing device, the combination with the receptacle, of a follower mounted in pivotal relation to the receptacle adapted to occupy two different positions, and provided with a projection, and an automatically-operated stop adapted to move into the path of the said projection as the receptacle assumes a predetermined position and cooperating therewith to retain the follower in an intermediate position.

3. In a paper-filing device, the combination with the receptacle, of a follower mounted in pivotal relation thereto adapted to occupy two different positions, and provided with a projection, and a gravity-actuated stop movably mounted on the receptacle and arranged to move into the path of the projection when the receptacle assumes a vertical position, and cooperating therewith to retain the follower in an intermediate position.

4. In a paper-filing device, the combination with a receptacle, of a follower mounted in pivotal relation to the receptacle and provided with a projection, said follower being adapted to occupy two different positions,and a weighted pawl or latch pivotally mounted on the receptacle and having a portion adapted to move into the path of the projection when the receptacle occupies a predetermined position and cooperating therewith to retain the follower in an intermediate position.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with the receptacle having the bearings in the sides thereof, of a follower adapted to occupy two different positions,hav ing itsarms journaled in said bearings, the

plate fitted over one of the arms of the fol 4 lower having a portion embracing the said arm to retain the plate in position thereon, and a projection formed on the plate and a stop cooperating with the projection for retaining the follower in an intermediate position.

6. In a device of the character described the combination with the receptacle having the hearings in the sides thereof, of a follower having arms journaled in the bearings and provided with the cranks at the ends thereof, the spring-arms bearing on said cranks for retaining the follower in two different positions of adjustment, and a latch or stop cooperating with a projection on the follower for retaining the latter in an intermediate position.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination with the receptacle having the bearings in the sides thereof, of a follower adapted to occupy two different positions having the arms journaled in said bearings and therewith to retain the follower in an interprovided Wlliii a lprojection adjacent (ine of the mediate position. arm ends, anc a atch or pawl pivotec in proximity to the path of the'projection having a PHILIP YAWMAN 5 Weighted portion adapted to move into the Witnesses:

path of the projection when the receptacle G. WILLARD RICH, assumes a vertical position and cooperating CLARENCE A. BA'IEMAN. 

